Hand-grenade.



E. M. SHINKLE.

HAND GRENADE.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE 22. I9I6.

Patented Oct. 2,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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HAND GRENADE. APPLICATION FLED JUNE 22. i916` Patented Oct.

2 SHEETS-SH ,No.4 y ,J

UNITED; *STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. SHINKLE, 0F THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

HAND-GRENADE.

To all whom t may concern.'

' Be it known that I, EDWARD M. SHINKLE, major, U. S. Army, and a citizen of the United States, residing atY Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania'` have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Gre- Ynades; and I do hereby declare the followinvention consists in the novel combinations of parts constituting an explosive hand grenade to be thrown by soldiers with their hands, all as will be more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

`Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which *like numerals designate like parts in all the views:-

` Figure 1 is a sectional view of a hand grenade made in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a .view similar to Fig. 1 but showingthe parts from a different point of view;

Fig. 3 is a top -plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a pivot suitable for use in connection with the trigger mechanism;

Fig. `5 is a sectional view of a somewhat modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of a pivot suitable for use in connection with the trigger mechanism shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the Figs. 1 to 4, 100 indicates any suitable casing preferably made of iron pipe screw threaded as at 101 and 102. 103 indicates any suitable casing screw threaded as at 104 to the said screw threads 101 of the pipe 100 and provided with the Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application filed June 22, 1916. Scrl o. 105,217.

fulminate holder 105, the primer means 106 associated with said holder 105, the firing `pin 107 and the firing Vspring' 108. The firing pin 107 is preferably curved as at 109 and it is further provided with a socket 110 to accommodate the loose ball 111. Associated with the curved portion 109 of the firing pin is the curved portion 112 of the lever 113 also provided with a socket 114 adapted to register with the socket 110 and likewise accommodates the ball 111. The 1ever 113 is provided with a hole 115 which is larger than its pivot 116 carried by the casing 103 and which hole has preferably beveled sides 117 sc as to provide the lever 113 with a sort of universal movement.

118 represents a weight carried by the lever 113 and 119 represents a pin adapted to hold said weight stationary. The pin 119 passes through the screw closure 120 carrying a spring 121 adapted to force out the head 122 of the pin 119 when the said head 122 is released as by withdrawing the locking pin 123. The said locking pin can be conveniently withdrawn by the thumb or .finger when the grenade is thrown or a lanyard, (not shown), can be attached thereto if desired. A convenient method of manipulation. however, is to withdraw the said pin 123 and hold the thumb firmly on the head 122 so as to keep the pin 119 rmly seated in the weight 118 until the grenade is thrown, whereupon the said pin 119 will be forcibly withdrawn from the weight 118 by means of the spring 121 and the weight 118 thus released during the Hight of the grenade. As soon as the grenade strikes, no matter what portion of the body 100 contacts, the weight being free to move in any direction, will bring the cavity 114 out of register with the cavity 110, whereupon the ball 111 will escape from between the cavities 114 and 110 and the firing spring 108 will carry forward the firing pin 107 and explode the fulminate in the casing 105. Between the casings 100 and 103 is carried the high explosive or other material which is set olf by the fulminate in the casing 105,

` and the closure 125 conveniently holds said 35 *plug 18 through i 45 cated the ball 27 the spring'13 will be transmitted from the;

similar to the preferred form just disclosed nate holding member 6, and 7 indicates ay plug fitting the lower end of the casing 4, lsaid plug provided with a bore 8 adapted to l accommodate the Ahollow lplug or primer housing 9 conveniently screw threaded or otherwise secured to said plug 7 as indi-y cated.

The saidhollow plug 9 is provided with 'an orifice such as 10. leading into the fulmiynate holder 6 as shown, and above said ori- 2 0 fice is a percussion cap, primer, or other igniter 11, all as will be clear from ,the drawings. Above the said cap 11 is a firing pin or other'plunger mechanism 12 adapted to forcibly contact with the cap ,11, as by means of lthe spring 13, and secured to said L firing means ing said spring 13. The said firing pin 12 is conveniently guided in itsmovements as by passing the stem 14 through a disk or other guide 15, and said stem 14 is further conveniently provided with the oset end having a cone or other shaped'depression 17, all as'will-be clear from the drawings.

1 Closing the upper end Vof the casing 4 is a 19 provided with a loop 20 as illustrated', and said wire 19 conveniently enters the metal Apiece 21 to which is secured, as'at-22, the

. -Y trigger member 23 pivoted as at 24, and provided with the offset 25 provided with the cone shaped or other depression 26 adapted to register with the cone shaped depression 17, as illustrated.

- Between the depressions 17 and 26 is los'o that pressure exerted by walls of the depression 17 tothe ball 27, and from the ball 27 tothe walls of 'the depres- .sion'26, on to the 4trigger member 23 and pivot member 24 supported in the casing or housing 4, all as will be clear from the drawings.

The hole 30 in the trigger member 23 through which the pivot 24 passes is enn tged as best illustrated in rig. s, S0 that i the said member 23 Vis very loosely supported on the said pivot 24 and said hole 30 is further preferably beveled out as shown at' 31, so that the said trigger member 23 may 6,0 approximate the said pivot 24.

1 'A lanyard -the eye member 20 of the wire 19, so that when thel grenade is thrown from the` hand;

12 is the stem or rod 14carryV which passes ay safety" wire vtrenches whence they came,

hascommenced, and therefore, 'are held inthei-r safe positions, during flight a universal movement around' 35 is.conveniently attached to'r the other end ,of the lanyard may ybe re` 'from between the two cones and-the'spring 13 will force the striker 12 into contact with the primer 11 and thus ignite the lfulminate or otherfexp'losive 40 in the holder 6.V The space 41 'is filled with an explosive or detonating charge and the ignition, explosion or detonation of the material 40 will set oi' the charge in said space41 all ina manner well known. f

I't will now be obvious thatv bythe constructions illustrated, I am enabled to do away with the streamers or other guides that are frequently emplo ed in connection with hand grenades and w ich entail certain well known objections in use, and especially very serlousrob'jections` when used'ln connection with trench warfare.

It will also be clear that I am enabled by A this invention todo away with the vtime trainV which has been heretofore proposed, and which is usually ignited when the grenade is thrown and later becomes a source of danger under certain conditions. In fact, as is well known grenades provided with time trains are frequently thrown back into the and are thus used by the enemy against the attacking parties.

It is further apparent that boththe constructions disclosed provide a grenade which may be perfectly safe in handling and in shipping as well as in storage and they provide a grenade that will explode on strilng no matter what portion of its body may be the first to strike: y j

Itwill st ill further b e seen thatthe lock.

and support to the-iiringpin afforded by the 'p'n .1195 and wire 19 andgpivots 1-16 and 24 are suliicient .to prevent any movement of the during flight or under the inuenceweights of any centrifugal force that may be generated' due-to the rotation of the grenade.

These supports 'after the locking means are withdrawn, are ample to prevent the balls from leaving their position afterV the flight and until a shock du'e to the striking of a solid object is had.

In other words, signed in each iring pin 'may be entirely safe yfor storage and handling, while during flight, after the the parts may be so decase -that the locking of the` the firing pins said pin is partially unlocked due to the release of the weight, the pivot may be assensitive as desired, and therefore no mat-ter in what position the grenade may strike, the all 27 Willjump out of its sockets and the firing pin will strike the primer.

' It is further evident that the variables that allow of an adjustment for sensitiveness in the size of the ball, the shape and depth of the cone shaped bearings for the ball, the

' strength of the firing spring, the mass of the weight, and the relation between the distance fromthe pivot to the center of gravity of the weight permit the manufacturer to attain any degree ofsensitiveness which may be desired, and therefore, it is evident that the Af.'f. .parts may be readily so designed that the mechanism 'will never operate under the in- .-luence of centrifugal force no matter what 2 0 ,may be its instantaneous axis of rotation during flight. These are important features of the invention andso far as I know, they are 'new i'n hand grenades. i

On the other hand, the insensitiveness of 'the-device can as readily be made to be such y that the mechanism will always operate on striking soft earth when thrown a reasonable distance. It therefore will be clear that the limits between the insensitiveness and the sensitiveness thereof are so far apart that the mechanism can be readily made to meet all the requirements of anr entirely safe hand grenade as well as one vthat Will be positive in its operation. The parts illus- 'trated are conveniently made largely of l standard steel piping but of course, may be made of any other suitable material. It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of the construction, as 4g well as the arrangement of parts without' dev parting from the spirit of the invention and therefore it is not desired to limit this inven- 'tion .to the above disclosure except as 'may be .1. required by the claims.

What is claimed is 1. In a hand grenade the combination of a container; a percussion firing means inside said container; a pivoted means adapted to move in three directions andA to control 5g said ring means; a safety means adapted to hold said pivoted means in a safety position; and means to release said safety means when the grenade is thrown, substantially as described.

2. In a hand grenade the combination of a container; a spring controlled firing means inside said container; means comprising a loose ball and pin for positively holding said firing means in its safety position during storage; shipment and throwing of said container; and means for removing said pin. and partially unlocking said iii-ing means during the liight of said container, substantially as described.

3. In a hand grenade the combination of a casing; a spring controlled firing means inside said casing; member, holding devices for said member, anda lock for said devices for positively holding said firing means in its safety'position during storage, shipment and throwing of said casing; means for withdrawing said lock and freeing said holding devices partially unlocking said firing means during the flight of said casing; and means for releasing said loose member from said holding devices, and lcompletely Vreleasing said firing means upon the impact of said casing substantially as described.

4. In a hand grenade the combination of a container; 'a spring controlled member constituting a firing means; a pivoted trigger means adapted to control said firing means; a Weight adapted to more said trigger means in a plurality of directions; and a locking member adapted to control the action of said weight, substantially as described.

5. In a hand grenade the combination of a container; a spring controlled member constituting a firing means; a trigger member controlling said tiring means; a loose member held between said spring controlled and said trigger members; a weight actuated member controlling said trigger member; and a locking member controlling said weight actuated member, substantially as described.

6. In a hand grenade the combination of a container; a spring controlled member means comprising a loose constituting a firing means; a trigger member controlling said firing means; a loose member held between said spring controlled and said trigger members; a weight actuated member comprising a weight controlling said trigger member; and a locking member comprising a slidable piece and a lanyard controlling said weight actuated member, substantially as described.

7. In a hand grenade the combination of an outer casing adapted to hold an explosive; an inner casing adapted to house a liring mechanism; a spring controlled firing pin carried by said inner casing; a trigger member carried by said inner casing; a loose'ball heid between said pin and said trigger member; a Weight connected to said trigger member adapted to move the same and release said ball when said outer casing strikes an object; amember positively locking said weight and trigger member against a loosely held ball for normally' controlling said firing means; a Weight adapted to move. said trigger means in a plurality of directions and means to restrain the action` said frin means in its safety position; a readily etachable pin for holdingsaid spring controlled pin in its locking position; and means comprising 'a weight adapted to release said firing means when the flight of said container is arrested, substantially as described.

1n testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in .presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD M. SHINKLE. W'tnesses CLAUDE B. THUMMEL,v FREEMAN M. BOWLEY.

V(logies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

'. Washington, D. G. 

